Harry's Greatest Desire
by essencerain
Summary: Breaking up with Ginny after 6th year was the hardest thing Harry has had to put himself through. Once back at the Burrow, he and Ginny reconsile and head back to Hogwarts, even if he, Hermione, and Ron will only be attending through the holidays. He in
1. Last Night at Number Four Privet Drive

Last Night at Number Four Privet Drive

It was a rather unusually cool night for July, the air seemed to be quite stale as Harry lie in his bed at number four Privett drive for what he knew was the last time. It was just barely sprinkling out; it felt as if the world was crying. It was only last month Dumbledor's funeral took place, and all Harry wanted to do was go to sleep; if only to make the pain go away until he could escape to the burrow tomorrow evening.

He was due to spend the rest of the summer with his 'real' family at the Burrow until the start of classes in September. He had agreed with Ron and Hermione that they would return to Hogwarts only until the holidays in order to take all the required classes and receive the proper training to become Aurors. After all, it was Harry's desired job, and he had a feeling that Sirius and Dumbledor would have wanted it that way.

He felt a tear burn his check as a lump began to form in his throat. It hurt so bad to know he would never again be able to seek advice from the only man that had been the closest thing to a father he had ever known. Harry tried to make his mind blank enough to fall into, at best, a restless sleep, but the events of Dumbledor's funeral kept haunting him. He thought of his loathing of Snape, the image of Hagrid carrying Dumbledor's lifeless body down the aisle to his stone white tomb, and the shower of arrows from the centaur's tribute. His mind played out these events until his mind slowly drifted to Ginny.

He knew he loved her, more than she would ever know. Thinking about Ginny usually had a calming effect on Harry; however, he was now more tense, knowing that Voldemort may try to use her against him. Voldemort had already taken his parents, his godfather, and his mentor, why wouldn't he come after his love too. Harry had tried to tell her earlier that day about these very concerns, but she was convinced that she was going to fight with him until the end, never once leaving his side. She loved him dearly- they where meant to be together. He thought of being with her again tomorrow, getting to spend lazy summer days with his love, ecstatic that he would spend the night of his birthday with her. He though of playing quidditch with Ron, Hermione, and her, getting to wrap his arms tightly around her, gently kiss her sweet, soft lips. Kisses that always made his insides stir with excitement. With this, his mind was slightly relaxed enough to drift off, even if it was a fitful type sleep.

_i He was back at Grimrauld Place, sitting in the living area along with his mum, dad, Sirius, Lupin, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione-everyone he'd ever loved. All that was visible was the area in which they where sitting. The background was no longer dull and dark, but in fact, bright and cheery. A goldish glow was cast over them all. Harry was leaning against Ginny's legs. Next to him, Ron had his arms around Hermione. Directly across from him were his mum and dad sitting on the couch. Sirius was in his own chair sat next to James, Lupin in the chair next to him. They were all sitting and looking at old photo albums. Some were of Lily and James's wedding, some of the Order, some of James and Harry when he was newly born, but all were happy memories. No one was speaking; everyone was just smiling back at him. Harry finally felt at peace. Suddenly, there were deafening sounds of loud cackling and evil type laughter. Nothing was visible except an extremely bright green light. Harry jumped up, but could do nothing. His body just wouldn't move. He heard more evil laughter, and then it was gone. He looked around and saw everyone dead. Harry dropped to his knees. He could feel his whole body trembling. The bodies of everyone he loved were strewn everywhere, each had a look of utter terror frozen on their dead face. Tears were streaming down his face. He felt as if his insides had just been ripped out through his stomach. _

"_Sssee Harry? Sssee what you've done?" he heard a man's voice say. No one was visible, but he was sure it was Voldemort's hissing voice._

"_Look Harry. It's all your fault. It's you fault they're dead."_

"_NO!" Harry screamed, his eyes burning and still trembling._

"_LOOK AT THEM HARRY!" the voice was now screaming at him._

"_LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID TO THEM!"_

"_ b __**NO/b **__" Harry screamed back. He dropped to his knees, and buried his face in his hands._

"_Why them? Why not me!" he shouted. The voice did not answer, but continued to laugh._

"_HARRY, HARRY LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! HARRY! HARRY! b __**HARRY/b **__" /i _

"Harry! Get up! It's nearly noon." He found himself being shaken awake by his aunt. Once she saw him open his eyes, she gave him a cold look and Harry watched her walk out of his room. This very nightmare had been haunting him every night all summer. He rolled over onto his right side and lied there for a few more minutes, hot tears still streaming down his face.

Although he had no desire to eat, he went downstairs anyway. He expected Tonks be there soon to help him along to the Burrow. He hadn't even bothered with changing into pajamas let alone unpacking since he was to be leaving so soon. All that was left, he felt, was to say goodbye to the Dursley's, whom he hoped to never see again after this day.

Dudley was already at the table with what most would consider a Sunday dinner as his 'lite' lunch. Petunia was busy compulsively wiping the already spotless surfaces in the kitchen while Vernon busied himself with the news. No one seemed to even take notice that he was there, so he tried, by slightly coughing, to get their attention.

"I suppose you're going to want something to eat too then?" Petunia snarled, looking at him in disgust.

"No. I came to say goodbye. As unpleasant as my stay has been over the last 16 years, I will not be returning here after today. I will be staying in the wizarding world from now on since I am considered 'of age' as of today."

Harry took notice that his uncle Vernon winced at the word wizard and quickly glanced at all the windows to make sure that they were, indeed closed, and that no one had heard. Harry did not care. They had been so awful to him over the years that he didn't care if their reputations were tarnished in the eyes of their neighbors. Harry actually welcomed that.

"Yes, yes, well goodbye then." Vernon said without even taking his eyes off the TV.

Harry turned on his heel, headed back up to his room, but before he could even take one step forward there was a knock on the door.

"Tonks!"

"Harry! So good to see you!"

Tonks was standing in the doorway, with hair the most vivid color of pink Harry had ever seen. Vernon couldn't have looked any more horrified.

"And who in the bloody hell is that?" Vernon barked.

"Shall I go and get my things then?" Harry asked her, completely ignoring his uncle.

"Yes, I believe that would be best. Molly has fixed a rather big welcome home lunch for you."

Harry retreated upstairs to get his trunk, all the while leaving his uncle standing there dumbfounded. Tonks looked around and surveyed the three people standing around her.

"You must be Vernon. Yes Harry has mentioned you a few times." Vernon looked too livid to even speak.

"And this must be your wife Petunia, correct?" Tonks stood there for a moment, chuckling to herself that they were too afraid to even answer.

"And you my dear, you must be Dudley. After all, Harry has told us I _all_ /I about you." she said with a cheesy grin. Dudley looked ready to just faint at any moment and tried to hide his massive body behind his mother's, which had to have been and least three times smaller than his. It rather looked like someone had tried to hide a bulldozer behind a street lamp.

Harry was coming down the stairs with his trunk in one hand and broom in the other. He quickly noticed what was going on and laughed to himself at how pathetic the Dursley's really were.

"Right, ready then?" Tonks asked

"Yeah, lets go." Harry sighed.

As they headed out the door, Harry turned around for one last look at his aunt, uncle, and cousin, relishing the fact that he would never have to return, and said,

"Well, see ya!"

The Dursley's just stared back at him as if they had never even seen him before. Harry didn't care. He didn't ever have to go back to that horrid place ever again. He shut the door and jogged to catch up with Tonks, who was already waiting for him at the end of the driveway.

As they walked down Privet drive, into a more secluded park area, Harry noticed that it was quite a nice day out. It had stopped raining, and although it was still unusually cool being the end of July, Harry appreciated the freshness of the air around him. He glanced over at Tonks. Her hair was an even brighter pink in the sunlight, and he noticed she had just the slighted hint of a bounce to her step. Remembering that he had seen her holding hands with Lupin yesterday, he decided to explore this subject more.

"So…" Harry said slyly.

"So, what Harry?" Tonks said as she blushed a little.

"Are you going to tell me about you and Lupin or what?"

"Well there's not much to say." she said, her checks turning just a shade pinker. "After we all left Hogwarts from visiting Bill, we all went to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's for tea. There Lupin and I had time to talk…" he noticed she was now more scarlet than ever.

"and we came to the agreement that Dumbledore would be thrilled to finally see us together. He had known for a while that I had liked Remus, and had more than once suggested that I just try and talk to him about all that werewolf business, but Remus was convinced that he wasn't good enough for me. I told him that nothing more in the world would make me happier, especially after losing both Sirius, and Dumbledore."

Harry felt the all too familiar lump in his throat. He was trying so very hard to choke back tears. It hurt so bad to even hear their names.

"Yes, this should do it then." Tonks said abruptly as she stopped walking. She tuned to Harry and said,

"I know you can do this on you own, but since you are not yet of age…" she stuck her arm out for him to clutch.

"Ready Harry?" And with a faint pop, they were gone.


	2. My Ginny

The Burrow never looked so inviting. With all the dark and terrible things that had happened recently, the Burrow was quite contrasting and very calming. It had a certain smell that brought only happiness. All the vibrant colors of Mrs. Weasley's flower garden, the vegetable garden in the back, and the smell of Molly's cooking overtook him. Harry couldn't help but grin at the thought of finally being 'home'.

"Harry!" Ron shouted as he ran out of the back door towards him.

"I'll just go inside and help Molly set up for lunch." Tonks said winking at Harry and making her way for the door.

"We didn't realize that you had already arrived." Ron said, clapping Harry on the back.

"Yeah, It's great to be back." Harry said sighing, feeling himself relax.

"Harry, can I tell you something...and you CAN'T tell Ginny I told you! If she finds out I said anything, she'll hex me to oblivion." Harry's heart sank; he wanted nothing more than to be with Ginny. His heart hurt so much not being with her. He regretted so much telling her that they shouldn't be together. He knew being with her meant that she would be in danger, but he also remembered how she refused to leave him at the ministry and that she swore to fight by his side no matter what. He knew they had true love for each other. He had felt it in their first kiss, after Gryffindor had won the quidditch match against Ravenclaw. Still, he was unsure what to think or say, because judging by the fact the he had not received a single owl from her all summer, he figured she was either steaming mad or very hurt.

"Ginny's really torn up Harry. Often when she, Mum, and Fleur are making plans for the wedding, she'll go up to her room and stay there for hours. A couple of times, I've even heard her in the middle of the night crying out for you in her sleep."

Absentmindedly they started walking around the garden that had just moments ago brought Harry comfort. Now; however, the smells of the flowers just reminded him of Ginny, and he got a sick feeling in his stomach.

"Sometimes I can hear her crying all the way in my room." Ron stopped walking and cast Harry a sideways glance. Harry just looked at his feet, wishing he were alone.

"Well, it's not like I haven't thought about her too mate." Harry said, a little to harshly than he meant to. "I…" He cut off. Ginny had just come out the door and was heading towards him. He felt butterflies in his stomach, but at the same time, he wanted to get sick. She looked more beautiful to him than he had remembered, even though she kept her head down while walking. The sun bounced off her hair in a way that made it appear to be liquid. She seemed to glide more than walk…Harry couldn't take his eyes off her. It seemed like an eternity for her to reach where he and Ron where now standing.

"Hi Harry." she said barely audible. Harry saw that her lip was starting to quiver just slightly. She looked away, and started to turn to go back into the house, but he stopped her, taking her right hand with his left. She looked up at him confused, and then quickly looked away, tears forming in her eyes. He then took his free hand, placed two fingers under her chin, and lifted her head up to meet his. Then he leaned down, painfully slow, and ever so softly touched his lips to hers.

It was very crowded in the Weasley house. Most every one was gathered in the living area. Lupin and Tonks were sitting on the couch listening to a few ideas the twins had for a new daydream candy.

"All you have to do is eat the sweet about five minutes before your class or meeting, and they make your eyes seem open and awake, when actually you are sound asleep." George explained.

"They're brilliant." Fred said, rubbing his hands together.

"Harry! Oh Harry." exclaimed Molly. "How are you holding up dear?"

"Fine Mrs. Weasley, OK I guess."

"Are you sure dear?" Molly didn't look convinced.

"Yes Mam." Harry reassured her."

"Well, in that case we had better get you settled in then. Boys, help me set the table and Ginny, help Harry with his trunk to your old room." He turned, grabbed one end of his trunk, she took the other hand headed up the stairs.

They climbed up to the third floor, and turned into the first door on the right. There were two other doors on this floor, one being Fred and George's old room further down on the right, and the other was a bathroom straight across from where Harry was staying.

"After Fred and George moved, Mum let me have their old room." she said as they entered her old room. Unlike Ron's room, which was covered in posters of the Chudley Canons, this room was a pleasant shade of lavender. I _It even still smells like Ginny /I _, Harry thought as he breathed in more deeply. "It's the biggest, and its on it's own floor, besides this room. Ron fought me till the death for that room." Ginny told him with a triumphant look on her face.

"What?" she asked Harry, who was staring at her in awe.

"Gin, I have missed you so much. I've felt so empty without you. I've felt so incomplete without you." Ginny just stared back, unsure what to say and unable to speak even if she wanted to.

Harry reached down, and starting right below her ear, he ran the back of his fingers along her jaw line until he let one finger slip beneath her chin. He tilted her head up to meet his and softly, just barely touched his lips to hers. Ginny felt her insides melt, and at the same time felt nothing but a raw burning passion for Harry. He pulled back, caught her glance and stared into her eyes, for what seemed like an eternity to her.

He then looked up at her fiery red hair, watched himself run his fingers through it and then continued to watch his hand brush the side of her check. Then catching her glance again, he leaned down and kissed her more passionately and more deeply than ever before.

Ginny melted. She had gone weak in the knees. Harry, taking note of this, put his strong arms around her and lifted her up a bit, just so all she could stand on where her tip toes, walking her backwards, showering her with kisses as he did so. She felt the back of her calves touch the side of her old bed, and Harry let her down softly into a sitting position, but did not stop pressing his weight against her upper body. He softly placed his hand behind her head until she was lying all the way down, and continued to lie upon her.

Just for a second he lied there, studying her beauty, then brushed her hair back, tilted her head to one side and gently ran his tongue along he outside of her ear stopping at her lobe, gently tugging on it with his teeth, then kissing it. Ginny felt a warm tingly sensation all over her body.

"Oh Harry..." she whimpered, "you don't play fair."

"I never agreed to." he whispered to her. She wrapped her arms around him, letting one hand caress his back as the other ran through his messy, mop of hair. She then felt him lower his full weight on top of her. It felt AMAZING!

He was lost in her. He wanted to explore every inch of her body. He slowly traced the outside of her figure with his hand, while at the same time pushing his lower weight harder against her, until his hand met the hem of her shirt. He tugged gently on it, kind of asking permission, and when he felt Ginny's body arch up with anticipation, he knew he had the OK. He slipped his hand up her shirt, grazing the skin of her belly with his fingertips as he moved closer to her chest. Ginny moaned and he deeply, passionately, _feverishly_, kissed her again as his hand found its target.

"Harry." She said breathlessly.

"Hmmmmmm." he moaned.

"Harry, we had better stop. Mum's going to expect us down for lunch soon."

"Oh, Ginny, but I'd rather have you." he whispered to her, now sitting up pulling his shirt over his head then sitting her up and removing her shirt as well. She knew she shouldn't, but she let him anyway. He was slightly perspirating, which just made him even that much sexier. He pulled her to him and embraced her. His bare skin pressed against hers felt wonderful. She felt her eyes roll as he gently kissed her chest. Her breathing got heavier and heavier, letting out a groan when she felt him slightly nibble.

"Alright Harry. Harry…really!" He was still kissing her all over her chest and causing her to be unable to speak in full sentences.

"Harry…mmmmmmmm…Harry, mum's…waiting…"

"Alright Gin," he whispered, "if you wish." He said as he lifted her up into his strong embrace. He kissed her lips softly, looked deep into her chocolate brown eyes and whispered, "I love you so, so much."

"Oh Harry, I truly, deeply love you." He smiled down upon her. They dressed, freshened up, and headed down to Harry's welcome home lunch.

_ I Harry was sitting outside in the garden. The sun had mostly gone down by now, all that was left where a few scarlet and ginger streaks in the sky, which was dotted by the first few stars. The chairs where arranged in a semi circle, all facing the front of the Garden. He was surrounded by white. Lilies and daisies where hung gracefully from most edges, chairs and tables. Pixies where floating around everywhere, so the garden was beautifully illuminated. The garden was filled with people. Everyone he knew was there. He saw Dumbledore standing in front of Bill and Fleur. He looked to his left and saw that Ron was sitting next to him, and to Ron's left was Hermione, her hand laced in his. Ginny was sitting on his right, sitting properly with her hands folded in her lap, looking up at her brother getting married. Up towards the front he saw Cedric sitting with his mum and dad. Almost directly behind them was Neville with his parents and grandmother. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat in the front row. Next to them sat Sirius. Everyone had smiles on their faces. Harry felt of wave of joy sweep over him, and at that moment, his life was perfect. He turned his attention back to the front to watch Bill and Fleur get married. _

_Dumbledore was about to announce Bill and Fleur to the crowd when there was a bright green glow cast over everyone. He looked back at the house, and to his horror, the dark mark was illuminated over it. In an instant, there where black cloaks everywhere. He heard the familiar cackling, and turned around sharply when he heard an ear-piercing scream. He was frozen right where he stood. A faceless, hooded Death Eater had Ginny by the throat and was walking her backwards._

"_SSSStop now Potter. Give it up. You'll never defeat me. I am now THE most powerful wizard ever known." he heard Voldemort hiss at him. Although he was not visible, he knew it was him._

"_I'll never stop! I will defeat you!" Harry screamed back._

"_You'll never defeat me! I'll take you and everyone you've ever loved Potter! Your mother and father where no match for me, what makes you think you'll be able to stop me?" There was no time to answer. The hooded figure let go of Ginny levitating her into the air._

"_Crussssio!" the figure hissed. Ginny immediately began to utter blood-curdling screams. _

"_NO STOP! STOP!" Harry shouted. Ginny continued to shriek in pain._

" _Take me! Just don't hurt her! Don't hurt my Ginny!" He looked up and watched Ginny's body arch in pain. Her screams were drown out by the loud evil laughter._

"_Please, please don't take my Ginny." he whispered as he felt a tear streak down his face. /I _

Harry woke up to see Ginny standing above him.

"Harry, are you ok? I heard you screaming all the way down the hall. I came to check on you before anyone woke up."

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," he lied, as he ran his fingers through his hair; Ginny noticed that he was trembling.

"Is there anything I can do Harry? Ginny asked.

"Just come and lay next to me," he said, taking her by the hand and pulling her into bed with him. She looked down at her hand and remembered her ring. It was a silvery band that had a sea green opal gem on it. The inside had the words _MELLITUS DORMITO, _which literally means sweet dreams in Latin. It had been enchanted to allow its wearer to have only good dreams. Her mother had given it to her earlier in the summer, when she was having bad dreams about Harry.

"Adaugeo." she whispered, making her ring bigger. She slipped Harry's finger underneath hers. Just as she was about to drift off, Ginny felt Harry's arms creep around her and pull her tightly against him. In his now peaceful sleep, Harry mumbled, "Love you, Ginny." Ginny smiled and drifted off to sleep, Harry's deep, even breathing ruffling through her hair.


	3. Perfect Prefect

**Perfect Prefect-chapter 3**

The air had turned cooler now. Harry, Ginny, and Ron all wore jackets as they lay out on the grass near the garden, looking up at the clouds floating by. It all seemed quite surreal to Harry. He couldn't believe that somewhere Voldemort was plotting against him. He thought about all the Death Eaters he'd already encountered, the inferi that he hoped to never encounter again, and the horcruxes he'd yet to collect and destroy. He wanted nothing more than to have all this over with, to have a normal life. A life that had no Voldemort, no more nightmares, no more deaths, just happy times with his best friends and his girlfriend. He looked over at Ginny. The slight chill had given her a checks a delicate pink tint. He rolled over to his side, and gently kissed her check.

"Ginny! Harry! Ron! Our Hogwarts letters are here. They've just arrived." Hermione was running towards them from the house her hand held high over her head, clutching the letters.

"Look, McGonagall wants to have a meeting with you, me and Harry, before the feast; must be to talk about our accelerated schedules." Hermione stated.

"What's the matter with you?" Ron asked, staring at Ginny. She had a look of shock and alarm on her face. It looked as if the blood had completely drained out of her face.

"You haven't even looked at your letter yet. Can't be that bad; sixth year classes aren't that terrible sis. What is it?" he said, glancing at the letter, still inside its envelope. She didn't say a word, instead she looked up and him, and held up her brand new prefect's badge. Ron immediately burst out laughing.

"It's not funny Ron!" Hermione said, glaring at Ron, who was now rolling on the grass laughing, clutching his gut. Harry couldn't help but to snigger a little.

"That's great Ginny. Congratulations!" Hermione said sweetly.

"Yeah Ginny," Ron said, barely able to hold in his giggles, "Fred and George… I _giggle /I _… are going to… I _snort /I _…love this." No longer able to hold it in, he fell over in the grass, again clutching his stomach.

"SHUT UP RON!" Ginny shouted, thumping Ron hard on the head.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he asked, wiping tears from laughing so hard, only to see Ginny roll her eyes at him.

"I'm going to show Mum." Ginny then quickly kissed Harry on the check and ran inside. Harry lifted his hand to his check and stroked the spot that Ginny had just kissed.

"I'm going to miss being a prefect." Hermione sighed. "Even though it was extra work, I really enjoyed it."

"Oh, yeah. I'll bet you enjoyed bossing everyone around. Isn't that one of your… hobbies?" he teased, sniggering again.

"Ronald! If you don't shut…"

"Ah, I'm not going to miss it much. I'm kind of glad we don't have to do it since we're only going until Christmas. That means we can relax, concentrate on learning our skill, and just think Hermione, we get to sit with Harry on the train this year!" he added, making it sound like it was a play date he'd been looking forward to attending.

"What's wrong with you? Ron questioned, seeing Harry still sitting there in a daze, his hand still on his check. "You look like that's the first time she's kissed you or something," he said looking puzzled.

"OK, OK. I was going to wait until after dinner to tell you guys this, but since Ginny will probably be held up a bit in there with all the excitement of her being prefect…" he was now very nervous. He felt as if he were going to throw up. He quickly glanced over at Ron, anticipating his response. Wishing he hadn't said anything yet, but deciding to himself that there was no turning back now, he glanced up and both of them then said as fast as his mouth could move, "I think I'm going to ask Ginny to marry me this Christmas."

Hermione gasped. There was silence for what seemed like an eternity to Harry. His heart was pounding in his chest as if it was trying to escape. He had unknowingly started to shake. Sweat was now starting to form on his brow, he suddenly felt very warm and wished he wasn't wearing a jacket.

"Oh Harry!" Hermione whispered, light tears in her eyes. She threw her arms around his neck. "This is so wonderful."

"Yeah mate, congratulations!" Harry was relieved to see that Ron was happy about this. For some reason he had envisioned Ron punching him.

"You're really ready to become a Weasley then?" Ron said, playfully punching Harry in the arm. "But why the major change of heart? Two months ago, you told her you couldn't be with her because of Vol…well, you-know-who."

Harry though back about being at the Dursley's earlier in the summer. He remembered the empty feeling he had when he didn't receive any owls from her. He wanted to keep her for the rest of his life. Not having her just wasn't an option. He just didn't feel whole without her; he would never be complete without her with him. The sight of her walking towards him when he first arrived at the Burrow then started to flood his mind. She was so beautiful to him. Nothing could have been more perfect. She looked like an angel. His mind drifted to when they where alone with each other, how her body reacted to how he touched her, how he could give her chills just by simply kissing her ears.

I "_If I'm going to die at the hand of Voldemort…"_ he thought,_ "I would rather die having been only engaged to the most wonderful woman in the entire universe, than have to die knowing I loved her so much, but just let her go". /I _

With that thought in still in his mind, he simply smiled and responded, "I just…love her is all."

Aug. 17th had arrived more quickly than expected. Schoolbooks and supplies, along with a few I _extra /I _ items, had already been bought and delivered to the Burrow by the twins. Molly, of course, could not bring herself to let the children go to Diagon Ally. I _Just too dangerous /I _, she would say.

Mrs. Weasley was once again bustling around the house preparing for Ginny's birthday celebration that evening. Harry still hadn't discussed the idea of engagement with Molly and Arthur yet, but decided tonight was the night. They only had two weeks before school started, which after that point, he would be so busy with classes and training he wouldn't have time to properly sit down with the Weasley's. Besides, he wanted time to think over how he was to ask her and get it perfect before Christmas.

"Fred! George! If you don't stop that racket…"

"Aw Mum, we're just having a little fun with our baby sister." George said through puckered lips while rubbing Ginny's head in a way that tossed her hair everywhere.

"Yeah," added Fred, "we have to get her back for being prefect."

"Ugh! You guys are impossible!" Ginny growled, pinching George in the fleshy part of his arm.

"HEY! That hurt!" he protested. Ginny paid no attention, but instead focused upon Harry. "We're starting a game of quidditch. You wanna play?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"You guys go ahead without me. I've got to get your gift ready." he lied.

"Oh Harry." she protested, but then kissed him on the cheek. "Don't take too long."

Harry turned his attention to Molly. She had just sat down at the table and was fanning herself with a potholder. Sweat had started to trickle down her cheeks, and she had turned a very peculiar shade of pink. He was already having second thoughts, but decided it was now or never.

"Mrs. Weasley?" he said, his voice cracking. He was now more nervous than he had ever been in his life. He could hear his heart beat in his ears. All the adrenaline that was rushing through him made him tremble a little bit. His breath was now shorter and faster. Every muscle in his body felt tense. He knew this was it. Even though he'd known the Weasley's for seven years now, and they had practically adopted him as one of their own, he was still terrified of their reaction.

"What's the matter dear? Are you alright?" Molly said, looking at him as if she could pin point what was wrong if she looked at him hard enough.

"Well, Mrs. Weasley," he sat down, no longer able to support his own weight, "I…I…"

"Well, out with it dear. I have supper to cook for a lot of people. Come on now, out with it." she coaxed.

"Mrs. Weasley, I wanted to discuss my plans for the holidays…"

"You know you're always welcome here dear, don't fret about silly little things like that." she said as she started to get up.

"No…" Harry continued, grabbing her wrist so she wouldn't stand. Molly looked confused. "it's not that. I wanted to talk to you about something else. I wanted to tell you that… I _oh boy, here goes /I _…I would like to ask Ginny to marry me this Christmas." 

This was it. It was now out there. He glanced up and looked into Molly's eyes. She just stared at him with an indistinct look on her face. He couldn't read it at all. It was just blank. I _Oh no! Now what have I done? Oh God… /I _He felt like he was going to get sick. He was just about to stand up and run for the nearest trash bin when Molly stood up, pulled him across the table and showered him with kisses all over his face.

"Oh you boy, you wonderful, wonderful boy! Arthur! Come quick! Harry has great news!" Harry had let his guard down when he saw how Molly took the news, but the sick feeling was quickly rising again at the though of telling Mr. Weasley.

"My goodness Molly, with the way you're talking you make it sound like you-know-who had been defeated."

"Well, close enough dear…go ahead Harry." Harry swallowed hard. It took every ounce of strength he had to get out these next few words.

"Sir, I was just discussing with Mrs. Weasley that I would like to ask Ginny to marry me this Christmas."

The night could not have been better. Everyone who loved him once again surrounded him. He wished he could freeze this moment forever. Ginny was at the table, everyone was singing to her. All night Mrs. Weasley would look from him to Ginny and just smile. Arthur kept winking at him. He asked them not to discuss this with anyone other than them, Ron, and Hermione, who already knew. If the twins found out, they would blow the secret for sure.

I "_HAPPY BIRTHDAY…TO…YOU!" /I _ Everyone sang as they finished the song.

"Make a wish Gin." Harry whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes tight for a few moments then blew out all the candles, casting Harry a devious smile through the smoke as everyone clapped.

"Did you get what you wished for?" Harry asked.

"Maybe later." Ginny said, smacking him on the bum. Harry jumped, but then glanced over his shoulder and grinned at her.


	4. Two Special Moments

**Two Special Moments-chapter 4**

"Oh boys, hurry or you'll miss your train!" Molly exclaimed as the whistle for the Hogwarts Express bellowed behind her. Harry and Ron stood on the platform, quickly exchanging words with Arthur.

"Boys, boys, come on. Quickly now," she said as she hurriedly approached them, pushing on their shoulders a bit once she was within arms reach.

"Ahem," Mr. Weasley cut off, as Molly was now in earshot, "alright then, we'll talk later. Off you go."

"Bye Mr. Weasley."

"Bye Dad."

"Harry? Take care…" Arthur tilted his head down and looked at Harry through the tops of his eyes. Harry understood what this meant. He quickly turned around and jumped on the train, just as it was about to pull off from the platform.

Harry sighed deeply. He was happy to be heading back to Hogwarts, but was sorry that this very well might be the last time he would ever be on the train. Hermione was already on board and had gotten a compartment for the three of them. Harry saw Ginny just up ahead, and headed off to tell her goodbye until they got to Hogwarts.

"I'll catch you guys in a minute, I'll be right back." Harry stated, never taking his eyes of Ginny. Hermione cast a sideways glance at Ron; secretly wishing it was Ron wanting to say goodbye to her like Harry did Ginny.

"Ginny! Ginny!" Harry shouted over the confused looking group of first years. Reaching out and grabbing her arm, she spun around to find herself mere inches from Harry's face. Harry didn't say anything, just lovingly pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Ginny demanded more than asked, seeing all the first years staring at them.

"I just wanted to touch you again before we got to Hogwarts. I _It's a long train ride you know /I ," _he whispered. He let his right hand fall down her back, tracing his fingers along her spine, and finally resting just above her bum.

" I _Oh Potter, you're in so much trouble! /I _" she whispered back.

" I _Oooo can't wait /I ,_" he whispered back to her, kissing her earlobe just to tease her. He pulled back and saw the goose bumps on her skin. He loved to watch the effect he had on her.

"Potter!" she threatened with a smile on her face. Harry simply winked at her and turned to join his friends in their compartment.

"Oh Ron, you just don't get it!" Hermione huffed, just as Harry opened the door. She quickly folded her arms across her chest and looked out the window. Ron pointed at her with his eyes, with an expression of 'can you believe her' on his face. Harry, knowing Hermione liked Ron, just raised his eyebrows, pursing his lips together.

"So Harry, you never I _really /I _ told us what you said or how Mr. Weasley took the news of you wanting to marry Ginny, just that he was OK with it," Hermione said, trying to quickly change the subject.

"Yeah. Obviously it didn't go too bad, Dad's been pretty nice toward you this past week."

"Well, I just explained to him like I did you. I didn't want to say the normal 'sir, I-love-you-daughter-very-much' thing. I just said I feel safe with Ginny and wouldn't be complete without her. I told him I understand that we're young, but I wouldn't be able to stand it if something happened to me, either while looking for these Horcruxes, or in battle, without her knowing how much I care about her. I think in these circumstances, he is a little more understanding than what he would normally be."

"So do you have a plan for this grand proposal yet?" Ron asked almost sarcastically. Harry furrowed his brow a little, but then decided that Ron was probably upset at his current situation with Hermione. He decided to overlook it.

"No, I haven't thought much about—" Harry cut off. Ginny had just thrown open the door to their compartment.

"Mr. Harry Potter, Professor Slughorn requests your presence for lunch in his private car this fine afternoon," she announced in a very mocking tone. Harry huffed while standing up. I _So much for spending time with my friends /I ,_ he thought as he walked toward the door before turning and waving bye to Ron and Hermione.

"Why does he have to have these dreadful things? Doesn't he have better things to do than interrogate us- -hey!" Ginny had just given him a hard shove. He found himself in an empty compartment, watching Ginny close the door, and pull the shade. "Uh, Gin? What are you doing? Aren't they expecting us…and don't you have patrol?"

"Where's your sense of adventure Potter?" She moved closer to him. "You're the one who started it…" she grabbed him around the waist with one arm, pulling him into her. " I _You're in trouble, remember /I ,_" she whispered into his ear.

Harry said nothing. Ginny was now trailing her tongue around the outer edge of his ear. Harry got butterflies in his stomach and felt his skin turn hot. He could feel his heart wanting to beat out of his chest. He moaned in pleasure. Whatever sense of doing what he was told had left him. Starting at her waist, he wrapped his hands around to the small of her back, letting his hands move downward until they rested firmly on her bum.

This time Ginny moaned, as he grabbed hold of her bum lifting her up to his waist. She wrapped her legs around, and allowed him to carry her to the seat where he turned and sat, with Ginny still on his lap. Feeling her heartbeat on his chest, he gently pushed into her with his chest, than sat back.

He caught her eye, slightly cocking his head to one side, holding his gaze for what seemed like months. He wanted to admire her, to take in every bit of her and hold it in his memory forever. I _If only she knew how much I love her, /I _ he thought as he placed his hand on the nap of her neck, softly pulling her into him for a kiss.

They both moaned and that was it. Harry could no longer hold back. He found the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. He admired what was in front of him for a second, before going in for another kiss. He reached around and traced her spine with his fingertips, eventually finding his way to her bra and removing it. Ginny's body reacted to this immediately in the form of goose bumps. Taking notice of this, he pulled back and removed his own shirt.

He watched Ginny examine him hungrily, while he reached around the back of her head and pulled her into him resting her head on his shoulder, then doing the same with his head. He cherished sitting there holding her, breathing her in. Without realizing it, he had started to sweat a little, and Ginny's breaths on his neck felt so intense. Instinctively, his pelvis arced up pressing into her. She took in a breath and groaned. Feeling Harry in that way always made her excited. Ginny took that as her cue and, still sitting on his lap, began removing his belt while kissing and licking his chest.

Before they had time to react, their compartment door unexpectedly swung open to reveal one very mortified Neville Longbottom, and one Luna Lovegood, who seemed unfazed. No one said anything at first. Harry and Ginny just sat there flushed, shirtless, and Harry with his pants partway undone and belt missing. Everyone just looked at each other wide-eyed and in shock. It was Ginny who broke the silence.

"SHUT THE DOOR!"

Hogwarts looked much the same, just as it always had in Harry's memory, but something about it was just different this time. It was no longer the happy, cheerful place of Harry's first memories of the school. Somehow, it seemed more dull, almost fatigued.

Harry quickly climbed the stairs two at a time. Every one was already seated, and the first years would be arriving any minute. When he reached the top of the steps, he saw Ron and Hermione, who were just standing there staring at something in awe. When Harry turned to see what they where gazing at, his mouth simply fell open. There before them, in front of the Great Hall was a large, pure white, marble fountain. The water bubbled up high in the middle, before cascading back down. At the peak of the fountain was a phoenix, perched as if it were in flight, seeming to magically float on the bubbles. Harry couldn't help but think of how much the phoenix resembled Fawkes. In closer look at the basin of the fountain, he noticed that the outer rim was engraved with the four words: Nitwit, Oddment, Blubber, and Tweak. In the front of the fountain, near the bottom of the base was a plaque that read, "In memorandum of Professor Albus Dumbledore, truly the greatest wizard of our time. 1844-1997"

"Ello 'Arry, Ron, 'Ermione. I see you've found the memorial. It was a gift, from the ministry. Awful nice thing for 'em ter do, considerin'-." No one spoke. They were too taken-aback. "Well, ya three ought to go and find yer seats. Professor McGonagall will be doin' the sortin' soon."

The three quickly, but quietly entered the hall and took their seats that Ginny had saved for them. Professor McGonagall entered shortly after with a tiny group of terrified looking first years, which she led to the front of the room. The Hall was still filled with all the floating candles and the same china with the gold trim that sparkled under the candlelight was used. The only difference Harry could find was the empty seat in which Dumbledore used to sit. Seeing his chair abandoned made Harry's stomach lurch.

"May I have your attention please," McGonagall started. "Before we begin, as new headmistress, my first request is for you to please follow me in a moments silence for our fallen former headmaster Albus Dumbledore. As you are all surely aware of the details, let begin our silence at this time."

The silence was deafening. It was almost more than Harry could bear. Being at school proved harder than he anticipated and almost regretted coming back for his seventh year. Maybe he couldn't be as strong as everyone expected him to be. He shut his eyes tight, and thought of the incredible responsibility he had resting on his shoulders. It wasn't until he felt Ginny grab his hand and gently squeeze that he reopened his eyes.

"Thank you. Now if I may have your attention, we will now start the sorting ceremony."

The ceremony was quite short, no doubt due to some parents afraid to have their children attend school given the current circumstances in the wizarding world. Still, however short it was, for Harry it was rather embarrassing. He kept avoiding Neville and Luna's line of sight out of embarrassment for what they had caught him and Ginny doing on the train.

When the last student was placed, McGonagall returned to the center of the room. "Now that we have everyone sorted I would like to introduce you to a few new members of staff this year." Everyone in the Hall cheered. "Filling the vacancy for my old position of Transfiguration teacher is none other than Nymphadora Tonks." Tonks stood and waived shyly as the students clapped for her. This time; however, she opted not to go with the vividly shocking pink hair, and was instead sporting a very pretty, honey-brown color.

"Our next teacher that I would like to introduce will be filling the spot of Defense against the Dark Arts teacher." McGonagall continued.

"Yeah, maybe this time they'll stick around for more than one year," Ron joked.

" I'm proud to give you Bill Weasley." Once again, the students clapped. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione rose to their feet clapping and whistling for their new teacher. Ron continued to stay in his seat with his jaw hanging open.

"They never said anything to me about Bill being a teacher," Ron protested.

"Now that business is done, I have a few things to say before the feast. As I'm sure you are all aware, our world is going through some very difficult and scary times. We will need to stand united. Even those you thought your foes could turn out to very well be the helping hand you need if faced with true danger. Compassion and support of your fellow man will be the key against all this ugliness in our world."

Taking a few moments to, for the first time, occupy the headmistress's seat, McGonagall then announced, "Let us begin our feast."


	5. Letters and Lovers

**Letters and Lovers-chapter 5 **

Harry's accelerated schedule had taken more of a toll on him than expected, and before he knew it, autumn had arrived and it was nearly Halloween. He had barely realized that leaves were crunching underneath his feet as we walked from class to class, and that he absentmindedly grabbed his cloak before going to breakfast. The air was crisper outside, and there was the unmistakable smell of a cold winter soon to come.

Their schedule alternated days to where on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday they would have two hours of Defense Against the Dark Arts, one hour of Herbology, and two hours of research/dueling practice; Tuesdays and Thursdays they had two hours of Transfiguration, two hours of Charms, one hour of Potions, and one hour of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Not to mention the extra practice they had on Saturdays. Harry was excited for this weekend because not only was this a 'free' weekend, but it was also Halloween on Sunday.

Exhausted, Harry sat with Ron and Hermione in their common room in front of the fire. Hermione occupied the couch all on her own, books balanced over every inch of fabric. Harry sat in the armchair next to the couch on her right; Ron sat sprawled on the floor between her and the fire.

"Blimey, will I be happy to get a few days off from all this training," Ron exhaled.

"Me too," Harry exclaimed, "What do you guys want to do?"

"You know what you I _should /I _ do Harry;" Hermione spoke, "Christmas break is but a month and a half away, and you haven't mad b **any /b ** plans for your proposal yet." She gave him a look of which Mrs. Weasley herself would be proud. Harry sighed as he sat back in his armchair, staring blankly into the fire. "Do you have any ideas yet?" Hermione asked impatiently before returning to her u Common Uses for Murtlap /u  book.

"Well, I had considered a moonlight broom ride through the snow," said Harry, not removing his gaze from the fire.

"OH THAT WOULD BE PERFECT!" Hermione exclaimed, snapping Harry out of his gaze. Blushing, she cast a sideways glance at Ron. Noticing, he quickly looked the other way, and started fiddling with an old newspaper. To help break the tension, she starting putting away her things rather loudly.

"Harry, with Ginny being out at quidditch practice until Supper, I think we should get to work on your plan. The midnight ride is great, but have you thought of anything else?"

"I don't know. I rather want to wait until the holiday decorations are up, and when there will be snow. That way we can have some peaceful time to our selves, and just look at all the winter scenery. I think it would be sweet."

"Okay, what else?" Hermione probed.

"Well, that's it. I just though I would tell her how much she means to me while flying and then ask her in the courtyard. Nothing too overdone." Hermione just stared silently in awe at Harry, while Ron had a look of repulsion on his face.

"Do you guys want to go to Supper? I'm starving," Ron pleaded, and together the trio headed down to the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was decorated as usual for the Halloween feast. The four house tables where aligned like normal. All where lined with the usual golden glittering dishware, cakes, cauldrons full of candies, Pumpkin Juice, donuts, pies, chips, candied apples, and warm butterbeer. Torches were lit, Jack-O-Lanterns hovered overhead and live bats where flying around. The ceiling was of course bewitched to mimic a thunderstorm.

Midway down the Gryffindor table, Ginny was waving at them having saved them seats. Harry couldn't have been happier; he hadn't seen Ginny all day. Harry sat next to Ginny and gave her a quick kiss on the check before wrapping his arms around her waist, placing his chin on her shoulder. Ron and Hermione sat opposite them.

" 'Bout time you guys got here, I'm starving!"

"Well I would assume so, Ms. Captain," Ron mocked. "You've been at practice since this morning. So how goes the Creevey brothers?" he said teasingly, pulling ham, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob towards himself.

"Surrissssingwee well ashully," Ginny said through a mouthful of potatoes. "They may be small, but they're quick little devils. We are going to b **stomp /b ** those Hufflepuffs next weekend," she stressed, slamming her fist on the table to emphasize.

"OH GOOD LORD RON!" Hermione exclaimed. Ron had just spilled a whole bowl of mashed potatoes in his lap. "Must you eat like a troll?" she said rolling her eyes and busily helped Ron clean up.

"Aren't you going to eat Harry?" Gin asked, barely able to move much, Harry still had his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm just taking you all in," he said barely an inch from her ear, then taking in a deep breath and exhaling, making sure to blow a little on her ear. I "_I've missed you_," /I he whispered.

"Oh Harry. You don't want to start that. I've got a very busy night ahead of me; lots of plays to go over."

"I can help you with a few plays if you'd like, " he said, puling over some ham.

"Yeah, that'd be great."

"Then later I can show you some handy 'moves'," he said moving his eyebrows and down quickly.

"Harry!" Ginny said, giving him a push in the arm. Harry smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Ron and Hermione emerged from under the table looking quite flushed. "Alright there Ron?" Ginny questioned.

"Potatoes…slippery," was all he managed to say. Harry caught site of Hermione cleaning potatoes off a particular spot of her chest that was shaped an awful lot like a handprint. When she realized she was being watched, she gave Harry a look of defeat.

"Accident," was all she said. Harry just gave her a half grin and returned to his meal.

At nearly midnight, Ginny decided to head off to bed having been up since early that morning. After receiving his rather steamy goodnight kiss from Ginny, he too decided to go to bed, leaving only Ron and Hermione in the common room.

Looking forward to his warm, comfy bed, Harry pulled back the curtain to his four-poster and noticed a letter addressed to him lying on his pillow. He picked it up, turned it over a time or two, and then hesitantly, he opened it.

Harry,

I hope B **T /b **hi b **S /b ** letter fi b **N /B **ds you in t b **I /b **me, as the b **M /b **essage is of d b **E /b **ar import. You must b **L /b **e b **A /b **ve Hogwarts be b **FO /b **re the holiday b **Y /b **s. There are terr b **I /b **ble plans and yo b **U /b ** a b **R /b **e in danger. I will infor b **M /b ** y b **O /b **u of more b **D /b **etails b **O /b **nce I have more I b **N /b **format b **I /b **on, but in the b **M /b **ean time, be ver b **Y /b ** c b **A /b **refull and u plea b **S /b **e /u  leave Hogwarts b b **E /b **fore Chr b **I /b **stmas.

BE SAFE

Harry read the letter three or four more times, trying to decipher a code in the oddly written letter, or figure out whom the author was. Deciding he'd mull it over tomorrow with Hermione's help, he laid down. After pondering the letter a bit more, he eventually fell asleep.

I "It won't be long now Master. Our plans are nearly complete." Harry felt an odd sense of pleasure arise in him, and at the same time wondered why the person speaking to him had called him Master. He looked around but found no one. Taking a few steps forward, he quickly came to realize that he was now standing in the doorway of the Gryffindor common room.

_To Harry, everything looked perfectly normal. Up ahead he could see Ginny sitting in front of the fire alone. Wanting to go sit with her, he tried to move forward but couldn't. It was if he had been placed under a full body bind. Sensing something was amiss; he tried to move again, but froze as he watched himself walk into the room. Immediately he felt his scar burn and his head throb. He cried out in pain, but the Harry and Ginny in front of him acted as if they did not hear._

"_And what of the girl?" he asked; only it wasn't his voice._

"_Not to worry Master, she is merely a pawn." It was the same voice as before. Harry looked, and to his left stood Peter Pettigrew. "If she gets in the way of our plan, she will be, shall we say, 'taken care of'."_

_Harry started screaming at the men, "NO! YOU CAN NOT HURT HER!" Even though he was screaming, his body kept speaking calmly._

"_Naive Potter. So young and so ignorant, just like that fool Dumbledore." Both he and Wormtail began laughing, but Harry continued to scream. He felt his body shake with pain and horror, but continued to scream._

_Not Ginny, he thought. Not Ginny. /I _

"HARRY!" Harry woke up to find himself being shaken awake by Ginny, who looked very concerned. "Harry, are you alright? Ron said he could hear you screaming all the way downstairs."

He quickly sat up, touched his palms to his eyes, and wiped his fingers across his forehead and down the sides of his face. He realized he was drenched in sweat and shuddered, suddenly realizing how cold it was in his room. Ginny sat down next to him on his bed, wrapped her arms around his torso, and placed her head on his shoulder.

"Was it another nightmare?" Relaxing into her embrace, he too laid his head on her shoulder, locking his head with hers. Idly, he started rubbing her back with his fingertips.

"Ginny, will you stay with me tonight?"

"Sure Harry, if you'd like. I brought the ring."

"That's my girl." Harry sat up, and looked at her. "I knew I kept you around for something," he said grinning.

Ginny gave him a gentle swat on the arm. "Harry!" she exclaimed. He simply gazed at her, then he leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the lips. She reached up and ran her fingers through his raven hair, as Harry pulled away from their kiss.

"Harry, you shirt is soaked through. Do you want me to get you another?"

"Nah," he said, pulling his shirt over his head, "I'll have you next to me to keep me warm."

Catching site of Harry's bare torso, she had to bite the insides of her cheeks to keep from whimpering. She felt a wave of warmth slip over her. She wanted him, but not knowing what terrors Harry had just endured in his nightmare, she bit her cheeks harder until it hurt, trying to get those thoughts out of her mind. She came out of her daze when she heard three gentle thumps. Tearing her eyes off his chest, she realized that he had laid back on his side and was patting the space of bedding next to him. Obeying, she pulled the curtain of his four-poster shut, and laid down on her side, facing him.

Once under the covers, Harry pulled her closer to him, interlocking his legs with hers. Arms around each other, they scratched each other's backs.

"Do you know how beautiful you are Ginny?"

She felt embarrassment rise on her cheeks. Rather than accept or deny his statement, she countered, "Do you know how sexy you are?"

He reacted as she expected, startled, then pleased. "I am?"

She nodded, a smile curving her mouth. Leaning over, he placed a light kiss to her mouth. She slid her hands up his back and into his hair, pressing his head to hers and holding the kiss. He wished this moment could last forever. The warm feeling of her around him made him feel whole, alive. Her hot breath across his lips felt wonderful, sending shivers down his spine as though he had just plunged himself into a freezing lake in midwinter. He shifted his weight and ran his fingers across her cheek as he stared over at her.

She looked into Harry's vivid green eyes, only inches away, feeling like she would drown in them. He dropped his head and began trailing kisses down her throat, licking and nipping at her collarbone. She threw her head back and allowed him to pull her body closer, if possible, to his. He grabbed her hips and pulled them against his own, pressing his hardness into the soft flesh of her stomach. His hands roamed freely over her body, as if he could not get enough of her. She tangled her fingers in his thick, silky hair, and held him against her.

"Ginny?" he said, rolling on top of her, pinning her down. He was heavier than he looked, and he felt heavier than he really was, with all his weight pushing down on her. He was warm and solid, and pressing all the air out of her lungs, but it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. Even the smell of him was enchanting her now. She arched her back and pushed up against him, intensifying the feeling, and moaned softly. She wanted this feeling to last forever, and at the same time, she wanted him to change it and give her more. To her frustration, he lifted a bit, propping himself up on his forearms to look at her.

"Ginny, I love you so much."

"I love you too Harry."

"No, Ginny, I mean, I love you more than anything in this world. It crushed me after we broke up this summer. You where the only thing that kept me going while I was at the Dursley's. Not receiving any letters from you, aching to be with you, but being too damn stubborn to give in."

"Harry I…"

"Ginny, I know you love me too, but I want to have you. I want you Ginny, ALL of you. If you're not ready, then I'm willing…" it was her turn to cut him off.

"Harry, I've loved you for as long as I can remember. I met you when I was 11 and haven't pictured myself without you since. If you're ready, I'm ready."

Harry looked at her bewildered for a moment, half not believing what he had just heard. "Are you sure?"

Without another sound, she leaned up and passionately kissed his lips, her hands searching for his trousers. Before she could find her destination, Harry pulled her hands up and removed the Sweet Dreams ring, knowing that tonight, they would not need it.


	6. Raised Suspicions

**Raised Suspicions-chapter 6**

"Great job, you three. Lets call that a day. I believe Bill would be rather impressed with you lot; you've come a long way," Tonks congratulated Ron, Harry, and Hermione as she pocketed her wand.

"How is Bill? Any idea when he'll be able to return?" Hermione questioned.

"Well, his symptoms have acted up a bit more than usual this month. Madam Pomfrey is optimistic. She thinks he'll be out by the end of this week."

"That's great!" Hermione said. Ron and Harry nodded in agreement.

"Shall we head inside then?" Tonks said, pulling her cloak tighter against her, as she headed towards the castle.

It was now mid-November, and most of the leaves had fallen off the trees. The few remaining leaves ranged in color from golden brown to bright scarlet red. The wind had picked up, adding a rather harsh nip to the air. Harry was glad they were heading inside, but before they were within earshot of anyone who was not to know, Tonks brought up the subject of horcruxes.

"Have you given any more thought as to the location of the i _items /i _ or what the items might be?" she questioned.

This time it was Harry that spoke. "We're pretty sure the locket we saw at Grimmauld Place is one, and Hermione has just about proved that Voldemort's snake Nagini is on as well. As far as the locket, we're still researching its whereabouts, and I plan to save Nagini for last since wherever she is, Voldemort is sure to be close by."

"Yes, yes, good thinking. I shall inform the Order and ask if they've any new information. See you all in class Tuesday."

Harry was sitting sideways in one of the armchairs in the common room. His legs were crossed over one another and dangled over the arm of the chair. He sat, dazing, his foot wiggling, as he waited for Ginny to meet him. He missed her. Sure he saw her every night before bed, but she was usually so busy with her studying or other things, and he was usually preoccupied with his studies and searching, that he could barely consider it as spending time with her. They hadn't even been together since their first time, last month. Not that he just wanted sex from her, but he did miss the intimacy. He just wanted her to be close to him. Just her being asleep next to him would be wonderful at this point, just so he could have her close for a few hours.

He quickly stood as he saw Ginny walk through the portrait hole. He smiled and held his arms out for her.

"Harry, I only have a minute before I have to meet Luna in the Library to study. These O.W.L.S are going to be brutal." Harry just nodded as she walked into his open arms. He pulled her into a tight hug, resting his cheek on her shoulder. Closing his eyes he inhaled deeply, sighing a bit when he exhaled.

"I miss you Ginny," he said, pulling out of their embrace, "I've barely seen you lately."

"I know, but with all my practices and studying for these owls, I'm spread super thin. Not to mention my prefect duties. What? Don't look at me like that."

Harry looked upset. "Can we at least make a date? Spend some time together? Just the two of us? I mean, in just over a month I'll have to leave, and who knows when I'll see you again… b **IF /b ** I see you again…" he trailed off, now looking at the floor.

"Harry!" His eyes snapped back up to hers. "Don't talk like that. It worries me, not to mention the thought breaks my heart. Being without you this summer was hard enough. I don't think I can take losing you forever. You WILL come back, and I don't want to talk about it any further, got it?" she demanded more than asked.

"But Gin…I…I just want to spend some time with you, just the two of us. No homework, no studying, no maps…just us. I don't even really care what we do, just as long as we're together." He grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him again. This time, he held her around her waist with one arm, and ran his fingers through her hair with the other. She just rested her head on his chest, listening to his heart beating.

" i _I love you Ginny /i ,_" he whispered.

"Have any of you seen Dobby? He was supposed to meet me-AH! DOBBY! What have I told you about that?" Dobby had just Apparated right behind Harry, who had almost tripped over him when turning around to sit in his usual chair by the fire.

"So sorry Sir. Dobby was trying to bring Harry and his Weezey a snack, and some for Miss Granger too." Dobby was now bent low in a bow, his pointed nose touching his feet. He was wearing an old Weasley sweater Ron had given him, what looked like two pairs of jogging pants, gray wool socks, one work boot, one dress shoe, an old Hufflepuff scarf, and a snow cap, all while holding a large tray of sandwiches.

"Dobby, you didn't have to do this for us, we can get our own snacks," Hermione said kindly, taking the tray.

"Oh but it is Dobby's pleasure Miss…"

"See Hermione. He WANTED to, " Ron said rather cocky. Hermione shot him an angry look.

"Anything Dobby can do for Mr. Potter and his friends," Dobby finished.

"Well, there is one thing I need you to do today Dobby, it is why I had you meet me," Harry said, quickly trying to nip another argument between Ron and Hermione in the bud. "As you know, students aren't allowed to Hogsmeade this year, so I need you to go and pick up i _this /i _ ring for me," he said, handing Dobby the catalog for owl order. "I am sending you to get it because it is a very special ring. It is an engagement ring for Ginny Weasley."

At this news, Dobby's eyes got nearly as big as tea saucers. "Oh how wonderful Sir!" Dobby exclaimed. "Dobby would be honored to get Mr. Potter's engagement ring."

"I have sent an owl, the shop is aware you are coming." He handed Dobby a bag of gold. "Off you go then."

"Yes Sir," Dobby replied. With another bow and a faint i _pop /i _, Dobby was gone.

"Wonderful elf that Dobby," Ron said, shoving his face full of tuna salad sandwiches.

"He shouldn't feel obligated to bring us food. He is a free elf," Hermione argued, sitting up straight to her full height.

"You heard him Hermione, he WANTED to," Ron retorted.

"Well," Harry chimed in, "I'm going upstairs to owl Mr. and Mrs. Weasley of the plans. Meet you at dinner?" They both nodded and continued their argument.

_ i Those two; if they don't get together soon, I'll go mad /i _, Harry thought, sniggering to himself as he headed up the stairs to his dorm.

Harry was running as fast as he could toward the Great Hall, determined to find Hermione as soon as possible. When he reached the double doors, he was relieved to find that it was not too full yet; it was still a bit early. Standing on tiptoe, he was able to spot what he was looking for. Not wasting any time, he sprinted to where Hermione, Ron, and Ginny where sitting.

"Harry! What's the matter? Are you alright?" Hermione questioned looking quite concerned.

"Hermione! While I was upstairs wr- "he cut off, glancing at Ginny, "washing up for dinner, I found b **this /b ** on my pillow," he hurriedly explained, handing her an envelope.

"Oh my!" she said covering her mouth. "Another one?" Harry nodded, encouraging her to open it. Nervously, she did just that.

Harry,

I h b **O /b **pe my last letter fo b **U /b **n b **D /b ** you alr b **I /b **gh b **T /b **. b **FO /b **r bot b H /b o b **UR /b ** sakes, I b **C /b **an n b **O /b **t b **T /b **ell b **Y /b **ou wh b **O /b ** I a b **M /b **. I b **M /b **ust therefore BEG you to not t b **A /b **ke th b **IS /b ** letter lightly. The b **R /b **e b **A /b **re Terr b **I /b **ble, sin b **IS /b **ter pla b **N /b **s being b **M /b **ade against b **Y /b **ou. I am b **A /b **b b **S /b **olutely urging yo b **U /b ** b **T /b **o b **LE /b **ave Hogw b **A /b **rts a b **S /b ** soon as b **P /b **o b **S /b **sibl b **E /b **. Yo b **UR /b ** well-b b **E /b **ing depen b **D /b **s on i b **T /b **.

PLEASE ACT QUICKLY.

Hermione simply placed her hand over her mouth. "What do you make of it Harry? We haven't even deciphered the last letter yet. These codes can spell out a number of things."

"Do you think we should tell Mom, Dad, and the Order?" Ginny asked, taking the letter from Hermione looking it over.

"Well I'm sure they'd want to know of the new letter, might change their decisions," Hermione stated, still looking concerned.

"I'll show McGonagall after dinner, but like they said last time, there is no other place safer for me to be right now, other than Hogwarts," Harry reassured her.

"Harry, please don't take this wrong," Hermione said cautiously, "but the last time they said Hogwarts was the safest place to be," she lowered her voice to almost a whisper, "Dumbledore was killed."

Harry said nothing. He just stood there, feeling numb, looking at his feet. Suddenly, he was anything but hungry.

Getting up to McGonagall's office proved harder than Harry could have imagined. The last time he was in there was right after Dumbledore had been killed; the last thing Harry wanted to think about. All he wanted to do was give McGonagall the letter and get out of there, but he hardly got his wish, since she had not yet arrived.

The office looked much the same as it did when he last saw it; one of the only differences was that Dumbledore's portrait hung with the other past Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts. Thankfully, Harry thought, Dumbledore's portrait was empty. Harry assumed he had traveled to Grimmauld Place, to discuss matters with the Order. Spared of considering this matter further, McGonagall finally entered the room.

"Hello Mr. Potter. You wanted to see me."

"Yes, there's been another one," he explained, handing her the letter. McGonagall did not look concerned. Gesturing for him to sit down and staying rather expressionless, she took the letter from him. Holding it at arms length, she looked it over through her glasses, set low on her nose. It was a moment before she spoke again.

"Yes, well I will take this to the Order and see what they make of it. In the mean time, I think it's best you stay here. We have a pretty good idea of who is sending these letters to you Mr. Potter, but we can not rule out that these mystery letters are some sort of trap. I suggest that you stay here, with the company of your fellow students and the few members of the Order that are stationed her with us. You will be heading to the Burrow with the Weasley's within a few weeks time anyhow."

She looked as if she were about to say something else, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in," she said, finally moving to sit down behind her desk.

"Pardon me Headmistress, but Dobby has a delivery for Mr. Potter."

Harry's eyes got wide. He quickly looked back and forth from Dobby to McGonagall, clearly unsure what to do. He wasn't sure if McGonagall knew about the engagement, and wasn't feeling up to telling her at the moment if she didn't. He just sat there like stone as Dobby approached with a small, midnight blue, velvet box. The box was wrapped with a sliver ribbon, just so you were still able to open the box without needing to remove the ribbon, finished off with a small silver bow on top. Harry just gazed at it, unsure of wither to open it or pocket it.

"I already know of the engagement plans Mr. Potter," McGonagall said lightly, bringing Harry out of his musing. He looked over at her, feeling a little relieved to see a smile beginning to take shape on her face. "May I?" she asked, reaching for the box. Nodding and handing it to her, she slowly opened the box.

There was an intake of breath as she stood there, her mouth in the shape of an "O." This is stunning. Absolutely beautiful Mr. Potter. Young Miss Weasley will be pleased I think."

Handing it back to Harry, he got his first actual glimpse of the ring he had so far only seen in owl order. He too found his mouth hanging slightly open at the sight. It was a white gold ring with a large diamond in the center of the ring, with four smaller diamonds on either side. On the 'front' and 'back' of the ring, there was a very soft filigree design. Harry was mesmerized by it. He couldn't believe that in less that a month's time, he and Ginny would be engaged. This thought gave him a warm feeling in his belly that felt as if he had just taken a large drink of hot chocolate.

"Mr. Potter is pleased with the ring then?" Dobby asked, again bowing low.

"Yes Dobby. Thank you so much," he said, bending to rub Dobby on the head. "If that is all Headmistress, I think I'd like to go and show Ron and Hermione."

"Actually," Dobby cut in, "there is more. While I was purchasing Mr. Potter's ring, I believe I saw young Mr. Malfoy in Burgin and Burkes. Yes, Yes. Dobby would recognize young Master Malfoy anywhere."

"Did he see you Dobby?" McGonagall quickly asked now suddenly looking concerned.

"Dobby can not be sure Miss. Dobby thinks he might have glanced Dobby's way, but Dobby can not be sure."

"Mr. Potter, I believe you can go now if you will. I need a word alone with Dobby here, but rest assured I will alert the Order of this new letter as soon as possible."

Harry did not say anything, he merely nodded that he understood. Standing up and pocketing the box, he couldn't wait to get back to the common room to tell Ron and Hermione of this fresh news.


	7. The Big Question

** b u center The Big Question /b /U /center **

_ I Harry was screaming so loud it felt as if he throat was shredding. _

'_There's nothing wrong with me!' " NOOOO! I WON'T DO IT!" 'There's nothing wrong with me!'_

_He shook his head violently from side to side. "NOOO!" he shouted through gritted teeth. ' There's nothing wrong with me!' _

"_Nooo! There's something b _**_wrong /b _**_ with me!" he cried out as he stood up on unsteady legs, pulling his wand out of his pocket. Everything surrounding him was blackened and fuzzy. Mind only focusing on his task, he drew in a shaky breath as he set out for his target._

_Blindly and slowly, dragging his feet as he went, he walked up to Ginny Weasley and touched her shoulder softly, slightly pulling so she would turn to face him. Once she was turned fully around, he cocked his head slightly to the left, raised his left hand cupping her cheek in his hand, and began slightly stroking her cheek, receiving a small smile from her. Then he took two steps back, raised his wand to her chest, and shouted, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

_She fell to the ground dead. _

_All that could be heard now was the loud, obnoxious laughter from Harry. His voice cackled as he continued laughing, unable to stop. He fell to his knees, clutching his stomach with mad laughter. His laughter started fading to tears, and he reached out his hand, still holding his wand, and placed it on Ginny's chest. Soon he was sobbing uncontrollably on the floor. His whole body was shaking in unison with his sobs. He buried his face in his hands as he sat back on his legs next to her lifeless body. _

_Gulping for air and absolutely fuming with rage and sorrow, he turned his head and screamed, "YOU HEARTLESS MONSTER! Why did you make me do that? I loved her! Why did SHE have to die, b _**_I'm /b _**_ the one you're after, you sick bastard!"_

"_Love! pffft. What is love? Affection? Passion? Enjoyment? Foolishness! Love is merely a sign of weakness," he said softly in a mocking tone, speaking to Harry as if he were a young child, "and you, my dear boy, will NEVER experience it while I am around." Mad laughter once again filled the air, and all Harry could do was lie there, crumpled on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. /I _

Harry awoke with a start and panting heavily. He took in a short breath and let it out slowly. "Damn it!" he said aloud as he raised a shaky hand to his scar, wiping sweat from his forehead, frustrated with himself that he couldn't shake his nightmares.

Turning his head to the side, he suddenly shot out of bed. "OH CRAP!" he shouted. I _I only have an hour to get ready! /I _he thought, running towards the bathroom to get ready, grabbing his clothes as he went.

Harry stuck his hand in his pocket again, compulsively feeling for the small, velvet box; a nervous twitch he had picked up since leaving the common room. He was more nervous than he could remember being in all his life. Not even in the Tri-Wizard Tournament could he remember being this nervous. I _Why should I be? It's only Ginny /I _, he thought, his stomach doing another anxious flip. He had his plan, he had his speech, both of which he had gone over 100+ times in his head. I _Just breathe /I _, he thought as he inhaled a large lungful of air, and pushed the door to the grounds open for Ginny to step through.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Ginny exclaimed, admiring the freshly fallen snow, her breath visible in the crisp, chilly air. Although Harry whole-heartedly agreed that it was beautiful, his response was simply a smile as he mounted his broom, extending his arm, inviting Ginny to join him.

Taking his hand, she joined him on his Firebolt, sitting sidesaddle in front of him. Once she was situated, Harry plunged his hand in his pocket, checking one last time before they rose into the air. The added weight made it a bit shaky at first, but being the excellent flier he was, he quickly got it under control and was soon heading off over the grounds.

Going at a slow, leisurely pace, he took her over the quidditch pitch first. Normally the pitch would not be anything particularly special, but with the freshly fallen snow, it did resemble a kind of ice rink. Puffy white snow covered the usual green turf, and with the moonlight hitting the snow, it looked like a sea of thousands of tiny glittering diamonds.

Climbing higher, he made his way over the forest. Hagrid had some fairies illuminate a few of the outer trees, and it was hard to believe that anything sinister could reside within the forest.

_ I Everything is perfect /I , _Harry thought. The air outside was a crisp, clean air, he was flying, he was with Ginny, who had leaned back against his chest and was resting the back of her head on his right collarbone. I _This is it /I ,_ he thought. I _It's time /I ._

Climbing higher still, he circled back around, making his way back to the courtyard.

"It's beautiful out here, isn't it Gin?"

"Mmm."

"I love this time of year. Everything just seems so peaceful. It makes it hard to believe that in a little over a week, I am going off to hunt down the most feared and dangerous wizard we have ever known."

"Please Harry, can we not talk about that just now? I want to enjoy this time together, without having to think about that for once."

"Sure, but let me just say one more thing. You know that I'm scared that I might not come home." He heard Ginny give an audible sigh and shudder, and he started descending at this point, knowing he'd need to land to be down on his knee and proposing shortly.

"That's why I've – GINNY! NOOO!"

Before he could react, he saw a blinding, neon orange light coming from below and heading right for them. It had hit Ginny square in the chest. She was knocked backwards off his broom, and was now heading straight for the ground, picking up speed with every second.

He dove for her, willing his broom to go as fast as it could. He leaned forward, pressing his chest to the broom, helping his broom to go faster to where he was almost vertical, heading nose first towards the ground. He continued to see flashes of bright lights, green, red, orange, purple, but he paid no attention to it as all his concentration was on catching Ginny before she hit the hard, frozen ground.

"Faster you fucking broom, FASTER!"

Everything was in slow motion now. His eyes were locked on Ginny. Her limbs were floating lifelessly, as she had already been knocked unconscious from the hex that had hit her. Her hair was all around her face, the wind from falling blowing it upwards. She was rotating just slightly, and at this point was almost upside down…

…and then it happened. Harry was too late. With a loud, bone chilling I _thump /I , s_he had hit the ground, head first.

Pulling up hard on his broom to avoid a collision himself, he jumped off his broom as soon as he could, running to her.

"Ginny! Ginny, are you ok? Ginny! Can you hear me?"

"Mr. Potter! Don't worry about her just now. Defend yourself!" McGonagall was screaming at him from a few feet away, engaged in battle herself. Only then did he realize what was going on. There were black cloaks everywhere. Spells and hexes were being thrown all around him. Everyone was shouting. He could hear exploding and falling rock from somewhere behind him where spells had been deflected and were taking chunks out of the castle. People where running all over. There were horrible, blood curdling screams everywhere.

"Harry!" He felt a violent tug on his shirt. "Snap out of it unless you want to get yourself killed boy!" He was then shoved forward, stumbling to get his balance. He glanced over his shoulder to see who it was that had pulled on him.

"Lupin?"

He jumped back as a body came flying at him and landed inches from his feet._ I Thwump! /I _ The body in from of him arched off the ground, howling in pain.

"Ron?"

"Harry!" Lupin screamed. "Save yourself!"

Harry awoke some time later in the hospital wing. Looking around blurrily at the darkened room, he observed that it was quite crowded in there. He made to sit up, but was immediately stopped by Madam Pomfrey.

"Mr. Potter! You lay back down this instant," she said firmly as everyone else turned to look at him upon hearing his name.

"What happened?" he asked, settling back into his bed.

McGonagall glanced over his face as if trying to choose her words carefully. She looked exceptionally tired, as if she was exhausted and hadn't slept in days. She placed a hand on top of Harry's.

"We were ambushed Mr. Potter," she all but whispered. Harry just stared at her. He heard the words, but they didn't process.

"Death Eaters had come to attack you personally Harry. We're not exactly sure at this point, but we have strong reason to believe that they were trying to remove your ability to love." Again, Harry just stared at her. "Unfortunately, you were in such a state of shock that you did little more than just stand there taken aback. We're very lucky Mr. Malfoy was there to stupefy you and bring you here safely."

"Malfoy? What do you- MALFOY!" Harry had glanced around and spotted the unmistakable white-blond hair that belonged to Draco, and no more than launched himself off the bed at him. He slammed into Draco, knocking them both to the ground. Harry had found himself sitting on top of Draco, punching him as hard as he could, one after another.

"What do you think you're doing here!" I _whack /I ! "_You piece of sh--!" I _slap /I ! _ "You're the reason Dumbledore is dead!"_ I smack /I ! _ Draco did not fight back. He was just lying there on the floor, doing his best to block the blows Harry was throwing at him.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed at him.

"Mr. Potter stop!" Madam Pomfrey yelled.

"Mr. Potter, stop this insanity this instant!" McGonagall bellowed. She and Poppy where now grabbing Harry's underarms and elbows, dragging him back up to his bed. "I will NOT have outbursts like that in here, no matter WHAT the reason. Is that clear, Mr. Potter?"

Harry was glaring daggers at her, but managed to shake his head anyway, "Yes Ma'am."

"Draco, come here please." McGonagall asked. He moved through the crowd and was now standing next to Harry's bed, his face blotchy and cut in some places. "Draco has been working closely with the Order for sometime now." Harry's mouth flew open.

"Once Severus had learned of young Mr. Malfoy's orders from Voldemort last year, we did everything in our power to give him the protection he needed and deserved. He did not want to be a Death Eater, but was forced into it by his father, just as we all had suspected. This is why he and Severus have been in hiding, until this point. We needed to keep Draco protected from those who would have known about his intentionally failed mission and wished to do him harm. He has been doing research for the Order ever since. Draco was the one who had been sending you the letters, Harry."

For the second time that night, he had heard her words, but not registered them. Hermione handed him his glasses. He quickly slipped them on.

"Harry…I-" Draco started but was cut of by Harry flying off his bed again, this time towards the bed beside him. Once he had his glasses on, took a proper look around, and realized that Ginny was not standing there, but lying unconscious on the bed beside him, Draco was a minor issue.

"Ginny! Oh my god Ginny!" He looked around teary eyed. When his eyes landed on her mother, who was also there weeping into Arthur Weasley's chest, he looked over to McGonagall.

"Is she alright?" What's wrong with her?


	8. Sweet Dreams Ginny

Sweet Dreams Ginny 

"We are not quite sure what is wrong at the moment Mr. Potter," McGonagall replied. "What we do know right now for sure is that her magical presence has disappeared. Madam Pomfrey took care of any exterior wounds and broken bones when she was brought in, then placed her in a dreamless sleep. That's when we were able to run tests to try to see which curse had hit her, if there are any after affects, and discovered that her magical presence was gone. We won't be able to fully determine what the spell was until Ms. Weasley wakes up and we are able to speak with her. Although I am concerned if Ms. Weasley will remember much at all," she merely whispered, getting a horrified look from Harry.

"When she came in, she did not register much of anything, just sat staring blankly," McGonagall stated grimly. "We asked her for her name and if she was alright, but she just stared back as us, never attempting an answer."

"What does that mean? What are you saying?" Harry asked in shaky breath.

"What I'm saying, Mr. Potter, is that due to both the fall and the curse, Ginny might have permanently lost her memory," McGonagall said regrettably.

Harry heard Mrs. Weasley let out another sob. He turned his body to look over at her, and felt something jab him in the leg. Putting his hand into his pocket, he pulled out the velvet box. He opened up the box, revealing the ring, and just stared at it dumbfounded, as on single tear slid down his cheek. You could hear the heartbreak in the room.

Not removing his gaze from the ring, he asked hopelessly, "You mean she won't remember me?"

Christmas holiday at the Weasley's was the most horrible that he had ever had. Things that should have brought cheer and happiness, like hanging the decorations, the cheery colors, the fire, the snow falling, the hot cocoa…all only brought misery. Not that the Christmases he had at the Dursley's were spectacular. He could handle not getting any gifts, but not having Ginny was horrible.

Not that Ginny wasn't there, physically she was, but as McGonagall had predicted, she had lost her magic, her memory, and any memories of being with Harry, or Harry at all along with it.

It was almost cruel. Usually when a couple breaks up, or one of them moves away, you can escape long enough to come to terms with what happened. Because Harry was staying with the Weasley's, he was forced to see her and be around her, knowing all the while that she had no memory of him, and his heart ached every time he saw her. It was pure torture.

"Are you alright mate? You look dreadful," Ron said cautiously. Harry Glared at him.

"How do you expect me to look? I've just lost my fiancé," he retorted. "It's almost like I've lost her completely, like she's died or something, like I've lost her forever. She's a completely different person. I can't talk to her about our past, or the good memories of us I have. I'm afraid it'll tear us apart.

"Harry, you didn't lose her, she's still here. It's just going to take some work to get her memory back," Hermione soothed.

Harry glanced over to the couch were Ginny was staring blankly into the fire.

"Look at her. She just sits there for hours. Staring." Harry's eyes glazed over slightly as he watched the flicker from the fire cast a soft glow onto her beautiful face. He missed her so much, and wanted so bad just to go over and hold her, but he knew he couldn't. He was a stranger to her.

"Harry, Ginny is still Ginny. She's not different, she just can't remember; and I think you talking to her about your past is a great idea. It might help her memory come back," Hermione said brightly. Harry just sighed.

"I don't think her memory is completely gone anyway," Ron said. "Last night, Mum was in the shower on my floor, so I came to use the loo on your floor. Ginny was already in bed asleep, and…" he lowered his voice to a whisper, "I heard her calling your name in her sleep."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other in mirrored shocked expressions.

"What else did she say Ron?" Hermione questioned.

"Well that was it. I thought at first she was awake and asking for Harry, but when I propped open the door I saw she was asleep. That's all she kept saying was 'Harry'."

"Saying Harry's name as in she was afraid, or…"

"No, saying Harry as if she were looking for him."

They fell quiet again, and exchanged looks.

"Harry, this is a good thing. I think you should start by just getting Ginny comfortable with you while she's awake, and then maybe going through picture albums with her," Hermione said. Harry again looked over at the girl he longed to touch, to hold, to be with.

She was now sitting with her knees pulled up resting her chin on them, turning her wand around in her hands inspecting it. She'd hold it up over her head, twiddle it between her fingers, look at it, hold one end and shake it before she just got frustrated and chucked it into the tree, causing a few Christmas baubles to clink together, and some tinsel to fall to the floor.

Seeing all this as well, Hermione decided to try to distract her from her frustrations. "I think I'll go ask Ginny if she wants to help make some cookies. Tomorrow, after dinner and gift exchange, Harry, I think you should start going through some pictures with her. I can even slyly bring one out, glance through a few pictures, and then leave it to you if you'd like. Just so it doesn't look intentional."

Harry merely nodded, Ron gave one nod of his head, and Hermione turned to accompany Ginny.

That night Harry couldn't sleep. He just had to see for himself. Ron had said that he had heard her calling Harry's name in her sleep, and Harry was determined to find out if she would or could say anything else.

So there he was. Thirty-seven minutes past three in the morning, sitting with his back against the wall in the hallway, quietly thumping the back of his head against the wall, and he heard it.

"Harry…?"

Ron was right. It b DID /b sound like she was searching for him.

"Haaarry…?"

Before he could help himself, he was on his feet, and creeping towards her bed. Standing over her, he saw that her brow was furrowed and her face was screwed up in concentration, and a tiny row of sweat was beading up on her forehead.

"Harry…?"

"Ginny? Ginny, I'm right here."

"Harry! I've been looking for you."

Oh sweet merciful gods, those words were so beautiful. She had spoken, barely above a whisper, yet those were the most precious six words Harry had ever heard. Ginny had spoken…to HIM…and now he wanted to try to comfort her. Ease her worry.

"I'm right here Ginny. I am with you always."

"…"

"Come back home to me Ginny…please, come back?"

"I'm lost."

"Lost? What do you mean Ginny?"

"…"

"Ginny?"

Ginny didn't respond anymore. Her face look considerable more relaxed, the sweat and worry gone. Harry guessed she had found at least a little bit of peace and was able to fall into a restful sleep, and he wanted to keep it that way. He pulled the Sweet Dreams Ring off his index finger and placed it on her middle finger. It illuminated a dark yellow color when placed on its new owner. Ginny sighed, and then rolled onto her side, her back facing Harry. Harry took one last look at her, locking her in his memory forever, then crept back towards the door. Once out, he turned, shut the door all but a crack, and before he let go of the handle he whispered, "Miss you Ginny."


End file.
